The Japanese government will be donating doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to the Philippines.
"Glad to be the bearer of good news today! Japan will donate AstraZeneca vaccines to the Philippines, and we’ll make sure to deliver them at the soonest possible time so no one gets left behind during this pandemic," Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa announced in a Twitter post on Tuesday.
Japan has already secured doses of AstraZeneca vaccines for its population but deferred their use after reports of rare blood clot cases in other countries, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said in a report from ABS CBN via Kyodo News.
Aside from the Philippines, Japan will also donate COVID-19 vaccines to Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
"After considering comprehensively the infection situation (in Vietnam), the shortage of vaccines and relationship with Japan, we have come to that decision," Motegi said.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III also confirmed the announcement on Tuesday.
The number of doses to be donated by Japan has not been announced yet.
The Philippine government aims to inoculate an initial 9.7 million people in the National Capital Region to achieve herd immunity by November.